


Blue Warmth

by randomfandomimagine



Category: The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
Genre: Caretaking, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 03:36:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17236640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomfandomimagine/pseuds/randomfandomimagine
Summary: After so long lost and without a purpose, Y/N overhears Porthos, Aramis and Athos discussing their endeavor to rescue an innocent man from prison to dethrone Louis. When she decides to help, she doesn't know quite how important this man will be for her.





	Blue Warmth

I sat on the stairs, feebly leaning my head on the wall as the cold stone freshened up my weary mind and glum thoughts. I heaved a sigh and wringed my hands in anguish, wondering what I could do to end my strife.  
That life had stopped being enough for me. The lack of a purpose shocked me and paralyzed me, almost forcing me to relate to Porthos’ apathy and thirst for vitality and joy, yet there was none in either of our lives.  
Their company had stopped being enough as well. Porthos’ jokes were brief to none as of late, and Aramis seemed far too preoccupied to indulge in the pleasure of conversation anymore. I was quite lonely, and hence in an attempt to avoid such feeling I isolated myself further. There was no logic in my actions yet I could not avoid them.  
“Y/N” A vaguely familiar voice got me out of my thoughts.  
I looked behind me to a tall figure towering over me and I gasped in surprise at the sight of him. None other than the former Musketeer, the legend, Athos.  
“Athos!” I quickly rose to my feet and dedicated him a brief bow. “It is fantastic to see you!”  
“Please” Despite the tiredness in his expression and the sadness in his eyes, he showed me a small smile. “There is no need for that, dear”  
“But you know I greatly admire you! Just as much as I do Aramis, Porthos and D’Artagnan”  
His soft expression hardened at the mention of the latter. Remembering the news about what happened to Raoul, I wondered whether I should give him my condolences, but I believed it best not to remind him any further of such a tragedy. His heart must have been broken enough as it was.  
“You must admire them indeed” He said, softly, nearly regaining his smile. Nearly. “If you had been helping them and living with them all this time”  
I smiled too, knowing that he fondly meant that they could be quite obnoxious, or at the very least stubborn. He wasn’t wrong, but it did not change my admiration and respect for the greatest Musketeers of all France. They were the real symbols of valor, honor, courage and kindness. Their efforts and sacrifices had protected our country for years and yet they asked for nothing in return.  
It made me wish that our ‘beloved’ Louis was more like them, as much as he called himself king. I still remembered his arrogance, his prejudice, his hubris and disdain. How his cold blue eyes fell over me with contempt. I would never forget that icy blue of his eyes.  
“May I ask why you’re here?”  
“I merely wanted to see you” He watched me with a paternal look. “It had been too long since we took you in”  
I opened my mouth to reply, but Athos was already walking away. He merely nodded his head at me and carried on with what he was doing. His presence alone piqued my curiosity, as the four Musketeers had drifted away as of late.  
D’Artagnan tended to the king, protecting him at all times. Porthos seemed to distract himself with the usual pleasures of the flesh even though he seemed as saddened as myself in such days as these. Aramis remained faithful to his new position as a priest. And lastly, Athos had been looking after his son Raoul, although his loss must have given him a new purpose, or perhaps he sought one.  
Suspicion arose in my heart and in my mind, hence I silently followed Athos to the room in which he locked himself. Gulping as the guilt of listening to their private conversation occupied my stomach, I leaned my ear closer to the door.  
I could hear the voices of them all: Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Although I wasn’t in the room with them, I could nearly feel the tension held in the air as their grave voices filled the silence.  
“We must do it tomorrow” Aramis solemnly said. “If we are to use his aid in dethroning the king, we must make haste”  
“The Bastille?” Porthos exclaimed in quite an outrage. “Have you considered it?”  
“I have!” Aramis replied with strong determination.  
“Then we shall” Athos approved, as the sound of footsteps echoed around the empty chamber. “And in doing so, save an innocent man”  
Save an innocent man? The Bastille? Dethroning the king?! As I suspected, this unexpected reunion carried more weight than it seemed. After Athos’ long absence, he had returned suddenly, yet it wasn’t merely three friends reuniting, it was the very foundation of the Musketeers rebirthing from the ashes like a phoenix. Not only that, but they were plotting to send Louis off and away from the throne, a noble mission as he was poison for the crown and the nation of France. A newfound excitement grew in my heart at the thought of witnessing their old days of glory once again.  
I got quite startled when the door suddenly swung open to reveal Aramis staring at me in shock.  
“Y/N…” His surprise soon developed into exhaustion and resignation.  
Porthos didn’t seem surprised to realize I was listening either. Athos, on the other hand, watched me with curiosity. I stared at him too yet said nothing, for when I spoke I directed my words to the three of them.  
“A-After…” I contained myself just before I could make mention of Raoul’s name. “After all that happened… I assumed there must be a good reason for your reunion”  
“What is it you seek, child?” Aramis asked instead of considering the question of whether I had been listening or not, for he knew the answer to that already.  
“I seek nothing, I merely offer my services, Aramis” Realizing Athos and Porthos both would understand my reasons, my eyes fell over them. “I want to help”  
Aramis sighed, knowing me well enough to realize I would persist in my endeavor. Holding his glance as to show my determination, I patiently waited for his response.  
“May I ask why is it that you are so persistent on helping?”  
“There is not one reason alone. I may hold grudges against our ‘king’ and wish to dethrone him” My eyes fell on Athos, who nodded before I turned my gaze to Porthos. “Or I may seek a purpose to keep me focused in such hard times of war and hunger”  
Porthos nodded, and so did Athos once more. My eyes finally fell on Aramis before me, whose jaw was tight and his eyes examined me.  
“Or, after all, I may want to aid an innocent man and rid him from his unfair prison” Despite the fact that I knew not his exact reason, Aramis was always talking about forgiveness. Perhaps compassion was a good enough reason to persuade him.  
After a brief pause, Aramis finally nodded his head once, allowing me to help them in their mission. I concealed a smile by bowing my head down in gratitude.  
“You are not to fight alongside us” He finally announced. “It is far too dangerous, and you are not ready for such a battle”  
“Perhaps” Aware of the fact that, if I wanted to convince him, I needed to oblige, I did. “Yet there must be some other way in which I can help”  
After being surrounded by Musketeers for years, I had learned how to wield a sword and use it to defend myself. Certainly not to the point of feeling safe enough with it to protect me and my friends were we to need it inside the Bastille. Nonetheless, I hoped they trusted me enough to aid them in rescuing this innocent man, as I was adamant in my decision.  
“He will be frightened upon his arrival” Athos spoke up, in doing so breaking the silence. “He shall appreciate your gentle care”  
That was a start, and so I obliged and allowed them to see my smile.  
“I will willing do so then”  
*  
A man in an iron mask. It wasn’t just any man, but one which had spent six years imprisoned in the Bastille and within an iron mask that concealed his features. Six years in isolation and uncertainty. The fact that he would be frightened was but an understatement. He must also feel lost, astonished and relieved all at once. I could not start to understand the many emotions that stirred within him.  
I paced up and down the corridor, items in hand as I waited for them to announce that he was ready to be cleaned up. After his mask was taken off and he had unfortunately fainted from shock, Athos had taken him to the room and was likely easing his anxiety.  
“Y/N” Came the latter’s voice, quitting my pacing.  
I nodded, already aware of what he wanted me to do, and proceeded to approach him. My heart started racing at the thought of meeting such a mysterious man, of seeing him for the first time after he had worn that iron mask for so long. I could only imagine how his appearance was after that, and I prepared myself for the shock.  
“She will clean you up” Athos told the man inside the room just as I made it to the threshold. “She won’t harm you, she’s here to help”  
I came in and immediately stopped at the sight of him, startled by his appearance even more so than I anticipated. As he sat on the chair, enveloped by one of Athos’ garments, the man weakly looked down as he played with his own hands. His tawny hair was filthy and stiff, covering his entire face. Under it, I could only discern his blue eyes and his dirty pale skin.  
“Thank you…” He said to Athos, though, in such a soft and small voice that my heart ached in compassion. “Thank you for your kindness”  
As Athos exited the room, I approached the man, despite the fact that judging by how he hunched over and softly looked down to his own lap, it would be more accurate to call him a boy. He couldn’t be any older than myself.  
I gulped as I shortened the distance between us, yet he didn’t look up, of which I was partly glad as I did not wish to upset him with my staring. I stuttered for several seconds, unable to look away from him, until I finally settled the tray on the table and my eyes darted to the container of water and the fabric which I would use to clean him.  
“I…” I began, truly unsure of how to address him. “I can start with your hands, if I may”  
Cleaning his hair would probably be quite challenging and arduous and I might pull at it on accident as I did, so I preferred to first eliminate any filth from his hands that he had accumulated on them during his long imprisonment on the Bastille.  
Without a word, he lifted them up and off his lap and offered them to me. Trying to be as gentle and slow as I possibly could not to startle him, I took his hands in mine. They were incredibly soft and tender, and he didn’t seem startled by the contact. It was a good start.  
“Can you tell me your name?” I thought it was a fair question, yet I paused awaiting his reply as I began kindly rubbing his hands with the fabric drenched in water.  
“P-Phillipe” As soon as I was finished with one hand, he immediately offered me his other one, never meeting my eyes.  
“You are safe here, Phillipe” I told him in an attempt to reassure him on his certain restlessness. “I am glad you are free now”  
It was hard to tell under all that hair, but I thought he frowned a little as he nodded. He refused to hold my glance in spite it all, and I didn’t blame him.  
I paused to push the fabric into the water again to rid it from any of the dirt that I cleaned off his hands. Then I looked back to him and softly cleared my throat.  
“Now I will move on to your hair and face, is that alright?” As all answer, he nodded once more. I gingerly pushed his hair back to reveal his face and started to rub it with the wet fabric. “I might pull at it on accident, but I will try to be gentle”  
Phillipe didn’t move as I carefully cleaned his hair, pausing to wet the fabric on the water and carry on my task once more. He merely heaved a sigh once, otherwise he remained still and his eyes lingered on his hands, now cleaned.  
The silence filled the room, and although it made me quite uncomfortable, I did not break it. I understood that he needed some time and space, and pestering him with questions or blabbering chatter was not necessary. And so, we remained silent as I cleaned his hair and gently rubbed his face. Time passed in silence, only the faraway sound of the three Musketeers downstairs audible in the distance.  
“Thank you” He said all of a sudden, finally lifting his glance just as I was nearly finished. “Thank all of you, for everything you are doing for me”  
“There is no need to thank us, Phillipe” The thought that he might not have heard his own name in such a long time nearly broke my heart, and so I wanted to address him. “Or at the very least, certainly not me”  
As I reciprocated his glance, I realized he was ready. There was no hair in his face now, and it was all clean as long tufts swiftly framed his countenance. His skin, now rid of any of all that sweat and dirty, looked pale. There were bags under his eyes and his lips were dry. His blue eyes pierced me as I took a deep breath, overwhelmed by the sight.  
To distract myself from the uncanny resemblance to Louis, I delicately grabbed some tufts of his hair and pulled them back so it wouldn’t fall over his eyes.  
“Is something the matter?” His soft expression turned into a frown.  
I forced myself to look at him, refusing to let the so called king upset me even in his absence. I remained silent as my eyes fell over Phillippe’s face, and found with a comforting sight. I didn’t see Louis in him anymore, despite their likeness.  
Perhaps they looked exactly alike, but they were clearly not the same person. But most importantly, those eyes weren’t his. Unlike Louis’ cold, arrogant eyes, Phillipe’s showed tenderness, kindness and curiosity. They portrayed warmth and were dripping with sweetness with every minor glance, even with the vulnerability reflected in them at that very moment. That blue warmth was comforting as his gaze lingered on me and unexpectedly brought me hope.  
“No” I finally replied, softly smiling at him. “Only… It is lovely to see, you look better”  
He dedicated me a weak smile of his own, making me wonder how long it had been since he last smiled. It was clearly an unsure and hesitant gesture.  
“They will receive you now” Taken aback by the effect his softness had on me, I faced my back to him, moved by such expressive eyes. A feeling close to fear and repulse had struck me when I saw Louis in him, yet it was instantly replaced by fondness and empathy when his warm blue eyes stared at me kindly. “And will likely answer all of your questions”  
I looked through the window, seeing the three of them down there talking. They were holding Porthos up, which told me he must have been in an apathetic mood yet again.  
“Aramis!” I called him, immediately gathering his attention. “I’m finished”  
He nodded and so I felt obligated to face Phillipe again, and with it all the strange emotions that his mere presence stirred within me. He watched me softly, presenting a question with his mere gaze.  
“They are on their way” I dedicated him a gentle smile. “You have nothing to fear, they are good men”  
Phillipe nodded, and so I walked to the door wondering if they were arriving yet or not.  
“Again, thank you” His words surprised me, and so I turned to him as there were no traces of them yet. “Thank you very much for your help”  
“Again, it was my pleasure” I leaned on the doorframe and sweetly smiled. “Honestly, I wish I could help you further”  
The sound of three pair of feet growing closer gathered my attention as I saw Athos, Porthos and Aramis arriving and taking their time in sitting down at the table. The latter noticed me peeking from the door and nodded to me.  
“There they are” I walked over to him and gently held on to his arm, pulling him up. “They are waiting for you”  
Phillipe walked to the door even after I stopped holding his arm, yet stopped at the threshold and turned to me.  
“May I ask for your name?” Came his tender voice, accompanied by the warm look in his blue eyes.  
“Y/N” A smile crept on to my lips as I restlessly walked closer and opened the door for him. “My name is Y/N”  
“Thank you for your gentleness, Y/N” With that and an appreciative nod, he left the room.  
Still bearing the smile in my mouth, I looked outside and followed him with my glance until he sat down. Even though Aramis’ eyes were focused on Phillippe, I noticed Athos’ worn quite an amused expression as he watched me. I immediately erased the smitten smile from my lips.  
Porthos, in turn, winked an eye at me, tapping his ear as to tell me that I was allowed to listen even if the conversation was private and secret. Or perhaps it was his way of telling me that, although I wasn’t supposed to, I would find interesting information about Phillipe and their endeavor if I were to eavesdrop.  
*  
Aramis seemed resigned that I somehow learned all the information about their endeavor. Quite honestly, Porthos was as happy that I did as he was to find a purpose for himself, as he knew I now had. And Athos, quite correctly, believed that I was in my right to know and also to help if I truly desired to help restore the honor to the crown that our beloved France so desperately deserved.  
Yet it was still quite shocking and overwhelming. I merely ventured to think that Phillipe shared an uncanny yet unjustified resemblance with Louis but… He was… his brother, his… his twin! Not only that, but they planned to replace Louis with him and so bring a fair and just king to the throne once and for all. After my brief interactions with Phillipe, however, I realized he was more than worthy. Perhaps not too educated on the subject still, although his heart was beyond kind and selfless.  
“You have seemed to grown quite fond of him” Athos’ voice brought me back to reality as he sat down by me with a grunt, making an effort in lowering himself to the grass.  
“So have you, Athos” I laughed a bit. “It is true that you are to teach him how to behave like Louis, but you must admit… his kindness and sweetness is quite endearing, isn’t it?”  
For a moment, he lowered his glance. I knew what he was thinking, that Phillipe could never replace Raoul, yet I never expected such a thing. No matter how gentle he was, or how close they were, Phillipe would never be his son. Nonetheless, it was quite easy to grow fond of him quickly.  
“I’m afraid you might feel differently about him that I do, Y/N” He watched me attentively. “A way that only you can feel, as he may feel in return”  
I lowered my glance, feeling how my cheeks flushed at the implications of his words. That I was inevitably captivated by his manners and warmth, a concept, I admitted, closer to fact than to supposition.  
To further reinforce this, Phillipe then passed by on his horse as he practiced riding. Now he hardly stumbled but stood straight on the saddle.  
Very adorably, he waved his hand at us, just like he had waved at me every time he passed by as I rested. I did not think twice to reciprocate the gesture, yet I flushed again when Athos snickered under his breath. At the very least, it was refreshing to hear him laugh after all the sorrow he had gone through.  
“I am glad this brings you joy, Athos” I bitterly said, averting my gaze from Phillipe as he carried on riding his horse. “Although it is good to see you smile”  
“I appreciate it, Y/N”  
“Then I beg you, do not linger on the subject, of me and Phillipe”  
“There is nothing wrong with what you feel” He retaliated, trying to rid me from my shame.  
“You may be right” Nonetheless, I couldn’t avoid feeling quite silly and naive at how quickly it happened and at how often I wondered if he felt like that too.  
But all that sweetness and kindness that Phillipe unconsciously portrayed upon our meeting, it was all being reinforced with our latest interactions. Not only that, we had grown to be friends during those days together and his constant cheerful mood and willingness to laugh and smile proved vital in bringing my lost smile back.  
Before he arrived, I was resigned to live on without a purpose. To continue being there, idle, away from Paris and the hunger and the cruelty of our so called king while we retreated in cowardice and bitterness. Yet Phillipe’s existence implied change, it meant improvement. It was our chance to free France from the tyrannical reign of Louis, to give Phillipe the opportunity that he deserved, that was his rightful role as heir. It was his birthright just as it was Louis, but Phillipe was worthy of it.  
“It… It isn’t only Phillipe” I spoke up after a short silence. “It is about what he represents as well”  
“Which is?”  
“Hope”  
“Hope?”  
“Yes” I turned to Athos, who listened intently in curiosity. “Hope for a better future, for a fair ruler. Hope for the belief that there are kind people left in such times, that… Something else is possible even though you believed all hope to be gone and you were left without a purpose”  
“Something else?” Athos paused, nearly teasing me. “Love?”  
“I very well hope you three aren’t gossiping about me” I said to divert the attention from that word. That unique word that, with the mention of it, made my heart race and evoked the delicate face of Phillipe in my mind.  
“You are still young” Athos rested a hand on my shoulder. “Allow yourself to love”  
“A man that I barely know? That is destined to become the king of France?”  
“A good man with the heart of a king”  
“Thank you, Athos” I took a deep breath, letting him lean on my shoulder still as he stood up. “And I beg of you, do not speak of this with the others”  
Brushing himself off the grass and slight moisture of the early morning’s dew, he just nodded despite his following words.  
“I am afraid they already know” There was no trace of a smile now, yet there was amusement present in his voice still.  
I watched him walk away and was immediately rushed with thoughts directed to Phillipe again. No matter how hard I tried to forget about him, it was inevitable. Before I didn’t know he existed, yet now he was all I could think about. It was exciting to know he would make everything alright in France again, not to mention that his company was quite comforting as well.  
I recalled our moments together, noticing the butterflies in my stomach as I did. He was always so kind, begging me not to ‘serve’ him like I ‘served’ the other three even though all I did was occasionally make a bed or bring food. I didn’t do anything more than the other girls did in helping them. Despite offering to aid him in any way, nonetheless, he always said I had already helped him enough upon his arrival. His demeanor was always lovely and lively as he constantly smiled and found the smallest things fascinating and endearing. We often spoke about many things, including my past. Phillipe intently listened about how Aramis had always been quite distant, no matter how protective, to me for reasons I just recently understood. His guilty got in the way and only in freeing Phillipe he began to make it right and showed himself to be more approachable. Or how I was the closest to Porthos both when we joked and when we were sad together. Perhaps Phillipe didn’t have much to say about his past, but he was a great listener.  
“Y/N” None other than his voice tore me away from my thoughts. He had returned from riding around the fields.  
I looked at him just in time to see him get down from the horse and approach me. As he towered over me, he offered me his hand and pulled me up to my feet when I took it.  
“Yes?” I asked when he continued being quiet despite his inquiring look.  
Phillipe looked at me, then averting his gaze and timidly looking back at me. A faint rose blush arrived to his cheeks when his eyes locked with mine.  
“I…” He gulped quite obviously, but soon enough he recovered and continued. “May I ask you dance with me again? It is easier to practice with you, as I am indeed supposed to dance with a lady”  
“I assume Athos isn’t quite like a lady” He had practiced dancing with both me and Athos, but certainly it was quite different as we were quite the opposite in both height and weight.  
“Indeed” He smiled widely, in doing so infecting me with the gesture.  
“Shall we?” It was I who offered my hand for him then, and his fingers gently closed around mine.  
Holding our intertwined hands above our heads, we began moving in circles and spinning over ourselves as we danced together. We smiled at each other as we continued, now lowering our arms so they were at level with our shoulders. In the following movement, as we changed our footing, Phillipe put his arm over my shoulders, still not letting go of my hand and we moved in a circle together before his arm left my shoulder.  
When our glances met once we were completely facing each other again, I saw that softmess in his eyes that caused me to purse my lips not to reveal the smile that tugged at the corner of my lips. Phillipe smiled, whether in amusement or fondness I wasn’t quite sure.  
Once the dance routine was finished, we bowed to each other as we maintained the eye contact. My bow, however, was more pronounced than his. It was deliberate as I knew I would have to bow to him as my king one day, and I would gladly do so. It was quite challenging to think of the sweet boy in front of me as king, yet at the same time I could not imagine anyone else as the true king of France.  
“Y/N…” Phillipe showed me a mild frown as his eyes lingered on me. “What is the matter?”  
“I don’t understand…” I replied, confused by his sudden concern.  
“You… There is something different in your eyes when you look at me” Stuttering a bit, as though he was nervous, he continued. “It has been so for quite some while, has anything changed?”  
I absently bit on my bottom lip, anguished about the true meaning behind his words. Was he frightened that my feelings for him changed? Did that imply that he was aware of them, that he reciprocated them? Or was it something else entirely?  
Perhaps something changed in the way I address him, yet if it was so it was not deliberate. In spite of constantly picturing him as his role as new king, I thought fondly of him, albeit with the difference that I now saw something else in him than the boy my heart belonged to.  
Phillipe must have misunderstood me staring, as I was analyzing my emotions as he evoked them in me yet he thought something entirely different.  
“You see Louis… when you look at me” There was a saddened look in his eyes, one that also held such vulnerability and caution that it reminded me of the boy I met when I cleaned him up. A small, frightened boy unaware of his true identity, of how important he was. Yet despite the kindness he carried on with him, Phillipe wasn’t that small boy anymore.  
“N-No… No, Phillipe…” I shook my head, squeezing his hand gently when I realized I held it still. “I… That isn’t quite right”  
“Then please…” He begged, both with his voice and with his gaze. “Do tell me what is wrong, or if I have wronged you in any way”  
“I…” In order to force some air into my lungs as my chest tightened, I took a deep breath. “I used to work for Louis. In the palace, I served him every day with everything that I had, showing him my greatest manners, support and loyalty. Yet he showed me nothing but contempt in return”  
Phillipe listened attentively, only frowning compassionately as his only way of saying how he felt with such a statement. I carried on, needing him to know the whole truth about his brother.  
“His heart is empty, as are his word and promises. He never appreciated his servant’s efforts, or their faithfulness and devotion. His arrogance alone is important to him, as well as his selfishness. His anger and temper caused me physical and emotional harm that fuel my discontent about him” I averted my gaze, growing uncomfortable with how glassy his blue eyes had become. “And so he sent me off one day, leaving me with nothing but myself. Fortunately, Aramis was there that day, and he allowed me to stay with him and Porthos when I had nowhere to go”  
To announce I was finished, I gazed into his eyes, holding tightly to his hand to try and conceal how badly they shook.  
“Why are you telling me this?” Lovingly, he squeezed them to soothe my sorrow.  
“Because you may look like him, Phillipe, but you are certainly not him” My eyes felt quite glassy as well, burning with unshed tears, yet I held them. “And I do not see that coldness and arrogance and contempt when I look at you. I can only see that blue warmth in your eyes”  
“Then… What has changed?”  
“The fact that I don’t see you only as a man anymore… but as a king”  
“As the king Louis was meant to be? Then you do see him in me”  
“No, Phillipe, in you I see the greatness he was lacking, I see the king that he is not in spite of his crown”  
Reaching out to hold my other hand, Phillipe pierced me with his eyes, passing on to me all the emotions he felt. Fondness, compassion, gratitude. Love.  
I bit my lip, taking a deep breath even if a small smile found its way to my mouth.  
“In you I now see my king when I could not call Louis ‘Your Majesty’ before” I was overwhelmed by the tenderness dripping from his glance, even more so than normally. “But I certainly can with you, Your Majesty”  
Moved by my words, he gave my hands yet another gentle squeeze, that I reciprocated with a smile. Heaving a shaky, emotional sigh, Phillipe attracted me close to him and we melted in a tight embrace.  
I closed my eyes as I happily rested my forehead against his shoulder and his arms timidly wrapped around me. The warmth with which he held me brought new butterflies to my stomach as they roamed capriciously within me, filling me with glee.  
When we broke away our glances met once more, and a soft smile arrived to his lips.  
“I must say, Phillipe… Thank you” He arched his brows in surprise, yet I continued speaking. “Thank you for giving me a purpose, for giving me a chance to help restore the balance, bring the goodness back into this world”  
“It is my pleasure, Y/N” He smiled, dedicating me a quick bow in gratitude. “I wish I could help you further”  
My unshed tears of sadness and anger were now gone after I revealed the truth about his brother to him. Nonetheless, new tears threatened to reach my eyes, yet these were happy tears, as his words tied me back to the day we met and to that heartwarming conversation.  
“Perhaps you can help me, by putting my heart at ease” I showed him a naughty smile as I requested something I had profoundly desired. A blush fell upon his cheeks, causing me to erupt in laughter.  
Nonetheless, Phillippe nodded and inched closer to me. Too timid to reach for my lips, his found their way to my cheek instead. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but it was certainly enough for me.


End file.
